After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and Road Initiative shows that engagement with Africa jumped by 395%, while a few big projects boosted engagement in Nigeria alone more than twelvefold.
These shifts indicate a window of opportunity for African electrification. 60% of Africans still ...
Category: Diplomacy>Southeast Asia
After Rafale, Now J-10C? Chinese Netizens React to Indonesia’s Ongoing Fighter Jet Procurement Moves
In late May, Indonesia surprised many Chinese military watchers by signing a defense agreement with France, which included the purchase of Rafale fighter jets—despite the J-10C’s widely publicized performance advantage during the ...
China Lead Mine Plan Weighs Heavily on Myanmar Tribe
Hundreds of protesting Myanmar tribespeople march up a hillside to a cavernous facility where a Chinese joint venture's giant milling machines stand ready to grind up the rocks of their ancestral homeland for lead ore. Demand for the heavy metal is ...
Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
Many Chinese military fans were surprised when Indonesia announced on May 28th that it had signed a defense agreement with France, including plans to purchase Rafale fighter jets, despite the Chinese J-10C’s impressive performance in the much-discussed 2019 India-Pakistan aerial skirmish. In that engagement, Pakistan’s J-10C reportedly ...
China, Indonesia Sign Broad Cooperation Agreements
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto signed memoranda of understanding this weekend, which could result in broad-based cooperation. They pledged to work together on boosting tourism, agricultural exports, traditional and contemporary medicine, investment, and media collaboration. This cooperation ...
SE Asian Leaders Meet China’s Li and Gulf States to Bolster Ties
By Rebecca Bailey and Isabelle Leong Southeast Asian leaders are looking to insulate their trade-dependent economies from geopolitical uncertainty, in particular US tariffs, as they hold talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Gulf state dignitaries in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Macron Arrives in Vietnam, Offers French Partnership Amid U.S.-China Rivalry
By Tran Thi Minh Ha French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Vietnam on Sunday for the first leg of a tour of Southeast Asia, where he will pitch his country as a reliable alternative partner to the United States and China. ...
Why Chinese Netizens Are Celebrating the Philippines Midterm Elections
After the Philippines’ midterm election results signaled a setback for President Marcos Jr. and a boost for allies of the Duterte family, Chinese social media lit up with cheers. Many netizens hailed it as a long-awaited “turning point” in China-Philippines relations.
Cambodia, China Begin Largest-Ever Military Drills
Cambodia and China on Wednesday began their largest-ever joint military exercises, involving advanced Chinese military hardware including artillery, warships and robot battle dogs. Cambodia has long been a staunch ally of China, receiving billions of dollars in investments, and Washington has ...
Cambodia, China Begin Largest-Ever Military Drills
Cambodia and China on Wednesday began their largest-ever joint military exercises, involving advanced Chinese military hardware including artillery, warships and robot battle dogs. Cambodia has long been a staunch ally of China, receiving billions of dollars in investments, and Washington has ...
Myanmar Junta Chief Meets China’s Xi for First Time
Myanmar's junta chief met China's president for the first time since seizing power, state media reported Saturday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, ...
Myanmar Junta Chief Meets China’s Xi for First Time
Myanmar's junta chief met China's president for the first time since seizing power, state media reported Saturday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, ...
Philippines Slams ‘High-Risk’ Chinese Naval Actions Near Contested Reef
The Philippines criticized on Thursday a "high-risk" manoeuvre by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal -- a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested ...